Folk Tunes from the Women for Instrumental Solo

'Folk Tunes from the Women' is a beautiful book. It is important that a collection of tunes like this now exists, in a field that is largely male-dominated. The book presents over 150 tunes by composers from a wide range of regions and backgrounds throughout the British Isles. There are informative biographies for each of the composers, and every tune is accompanied by personal description or anecdote, which really helps the player get a feel for the meaning behind the music they are playing. The emotions reflected range from celebration to sorrow, and the melodies go from the more traditionally rooted to the more contemporary. They are helpfully categorized into groups (e.g. jigs, polkas) and are complete with chord symbols, which is fantastic for playing with others. There are illustrations scattered throughout, which along with the vibrant cover artwork are absolutely stunning. 'Folk Tunes from the Women’ would be a wonderful purchase for folk enthusiasts of any standard.